Yang Wan informed the female official in charge of the imperial edict and walked towards the Zhonghe Hall with Yi Lang in hand.
Walking along the central axis of the Ming Imperial City, there were no flowers or trees around. In order to highlight the solemnity, even the carvings on the bronze tripods along the way were sharp. The dry and cold white marble platform was covered with snow powder, which swept down the steps like dust when the wind blew. Yi Lang's originally warm hands became colder and colder. When he reached the entrance of the Zhonghe Hall, they were frozen like two pieces of ice.
Several eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department were standing guard under the imperial road with embossed cloud and dragon patterns. When they saw Yi Lang and Yang Wan coming, they hurriedly greeted them and said, "Your Majesty is about to ascend the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Please follow us, Your Highness."
Yi Lang raised his head and looked at Yang Wan, "Auntie, please don't leave."
Yang Wan shook her head, "No, wait until Your Highness and His Majesty finish the banquet, and then I will take you back to the Palace of Heavenly Purity."
"good."
Yi Lang agreed, let go of Yang Wan's hand, turned around and followed the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
This letting go really made Yang Wan feel like she was leaving him to be beaten by society. She suddenly remembered what her brother had said to her before, "You just haven't experienced the beatings of society. When you were young, your parents protected you, and when you grew up, you hid in school. Do you know how complicated society is? If we let go of you, how can you still have a worry-free life and concentrate on the academic circle? Those people in society can destroy your image as a humanities and social science researcher in a minute."
However, among the younger generation, no matter what their initial intentions were, there will always be people who will be forced to become more pragmatic, become more core gears in the operation of society, and strive to fulfill the essential demands of human nature for material, technological, and political development.
This is the case with his elder brother who became bald at the age of 60 due to the Internet wave; it is the case with Yi Lang who was forced to immerse himself in political economics at the age of six or seven; even Deng Ying seems to be like this.
Yang Wan stood hesitantly behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and also stood hesitantly behind the gate of society.
Admission is free, but like most young artists, she is both contemptuous and eager for this bizarre world behind the door.
"Maid."
"Um?"
The eunuch behind her interrupted her high thoughts.
"You and your servants should go to the platform of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and wait. His Majesty and His Highness have already gone to take their seats. We cannot stand here in the Hall of Central Harmony for long."
"yes."
Yang Wan and other palace maids stood under the stone dragon head.
Most of the officials in the capital gathered in front of the palace. Black gauze hats, round collar shirts, colorful silk and satin, colorful embroidery showing cranes, pheasants, lions, tigers, bears and leopards, all filled Yang Wan's vision. Some of them gathered to talk, some bowed their heads in thought, some smiled, some looked sad, and under the shadow of the eighteen bronze roofs, their expressions were vivid.
Yang Wan saw Yang Lun talking to someone with a serious expression. Before she could see who that person was, she heard the sound of music and drums. All the ministers knelt down and bowed. Yang Wan raised her head and looked towards the platform. Emperor Zhenning was wearing a dragon robe and a winged hat on his head. He ascended the throne accompanied by He Yixian, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department.
On both sides of the throne stood two eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department and a group of Jinyiwei guards headed by Zhang Luo.
Yang Wan deliberately glanced at Zhang Luo's appearance. He stood straight, his eyes scanning the ministers under the platform, occasionally falling on Yang Wan, but not lingering for too long.
There was a whistling sound from the imperial road, and the whip cut through the sun above, leaving a fleeting shadow on the white marble ground.
According to Yang Wan's memory, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace should have ascended the throne at this time. Since Emperor Zhenning only had Yi Lang as his son at this time, Yi Lang sat on the east side of the throne. Below Yi Lang were the princes, but this year only Prince Ping was in the court, and he was old and had already declined the banquet from the emperor.
Therefore, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies from the Imperial Household Department led officials of the fourth rank and above into the palace and sat at the table.
Yang Wan watched as Yang Lun followed Bai Huan with a serious expression and stepped onto the jade steps.
He did not see Yang Wan, but was just saying something in Bai Huan's ear. Although Bai Huan did not show it, he clenched his hands behind his back.
Officials below the fifth rank were scattered in the east and west corridors outside the palace. The banquet began in the Lishan Pavilion and the Jiuting Pavilion. The Jiaofangsi in the palace played the Nine Songs, and the grand music outside the palace stopped temporarily. Different from what Yang Wan had imagined, the New Year's Eve banquet during the Zhenning period did not have an atmosphere of joy among the emperor and his subjects. Whether it was the emperor or Yi Lang and the ministers in the palace, they all took their status seriously.
But the scenery on the corridor is quite different.
Because there were only banquet tables and no seats on the corridor, the young officials were scattered everywhere, picking up food and drinking, chatting with each other. Yang Wan shrank her neck and stood under the platform to listen to them. The topics were very diverse, ranging from the big policy of clearing the land to the small imperial examinations for the disciples at home. Yang Wan gradually became drowsy. Just when she wanted to close her eyes, she suddenly heard Zhang Luo shouting in the hall, "Capture Huang Ran!"
The ministers outside the hall stopped talking and laughing instantly and stretched their necks to look into the hall.
Huang Ran was seen kneeling in front of Yi Lang with a red face. As soon as he stood up, he was pressed to the ground by the Jinyiwei and could not move at all.
Emperor Zhenning sat on the throne and asked him, "What kind of ceremony did you perform when you toasted the eldest prince just now?"
Huang Ran laughed, "Great etiquette between the monarch and his subjects..."
"What kind of ceremony is this?"
Emperor Zhenning did not get angry, but the veins on his forehead were already bulging. He held the dragon head sculpture on the throne and said, "I ask you again, why don't you treat him with the courtesy of a monarch and father?"
Huang Ran's eyes were red, and his face turned red and white due to being drunk.
The Jinyiwei suppressed his breathing, so that his voice was a little intermittent.
"The King and Father... Who is the King and Father... The subject is loyal to this world..."
He raised his head and said, "But what is the world like now... Salt inspectors died on their ships, mine inspectors were crushed under the mines, and my Huang family... our ancestors laid a hundred-year foundation, but it was all robbed away by a few shameless young men in brocade clothes..."
After he finished speaking, no one in the hall dared to speak.
Yang Wan turned her head and looked towards the sky. The place where the sun rose after breaking through the clouds was now covered by thick clouds, and the only warm light disappeared.
Huang Ran tried to raise his head and take a breath, but was pressed even harder by the Jinyiwei. In the end, even his face was pressed to the ground, but he still refused to stop and coughed several times. Even though his lungs were about to burst, he still hoarsely said, "The palace is full of delicacies... Your Majesty! I can't eat a single bite! Bai Shoufu, Zhang Cifu, and Lord Yang... How did you eat it all?"
After he finished speaking, he laughed wildly, coughing as he laughed. The wine he vomited had a hint of blood, which made everyone present tremble with their hands covering their noses.
Emperor Zhenning had never thought that he would say such words, and he shouted angrily: "Drag him out!"
The Jinyiwei immediately turned Huang Ran over, held up his arms, and dragged him out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony despite his struggles.
Yi Lang in the hall had already gotten up from his seat and knelt facing the throne, waiting for Emperor Zhenning's decision.
Yang Lun regretted very much at this moment that he did not listen to Deng Ying and resolutely stopped him, which led to the current situation.
He wanted to speak for Yi Lang, but he also knew that every time he said one more word, Yi Lang's mistake would become more serious.
Emperor Zhenning looked at Yi Lang with a gloomy face. There seemed to be a tacit understanding between father and son, one restrained his anger, and the other restrained the fear in his heart.
"The banquet is over."
The emperor whispered something, and He Yixian hurriedly said loudly: "Dismiss the banquet."
Everyone then came to their senses, stood up, bowed, and left one after another.
The emperor suddenly said, "Lord Bai, Lord Zhang, the two of you go to the cabinet and wait. I have something else to say."
Zhang Bai and the other man looked at each other, bowed and said "yes", then left the hall.
The emperor stood up and said to Zhang Luo, "Take him back to Wuying Palace for custody. You lead the Northern Pacification Division to find out Huang Ran's intentions and report to me. I will deal with him together."
Yi Lang knelt on the ground and glanced at Zhang Luo. Zhang Luo turned around and walked in front of Yi Lang, saying in his usual cold voice: "Your Highness, please."
Yi Lang stood up and walked forward a few steps. Suddenly he turned back and said to Emperor Zhenning, "Father, will you kill Mr. Huang?"
Emperor Zhenning looked at him and asked, "What kind of etiquette did he perform in front of you before?"
Yi Lang raised his head and said, "First, please pay your respects to the prince, and then I will pay my respects to you as a student."
"In that case, should he be killed today?"
Yi Lang lowered his head, "It is against the etiquette, he deserves to be killed. But I cannot bear to see you die. If the emperor is willing to show mercy, I am willing to take the punishment for you."
Emperor Zhenning was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. The meaning of this laugh was somewhat complicated, with approval and disgust.
But he didn't say anything verbally, just waved his hand and said, "Back off."
Yi Lang said nothing more, turned around and walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Yang Wan watched Yi Lang coming down from the imperial road. Before he saw her, he showed no emotion, but as soon as he saw Yang Wan, his eyes immediately turned red, and his steps became faster and faster. When he walked in front of Yang Wan, he was already in tears. However, he did not say anything, but gently took Yang Wan's hand, holding back his tears and said:
"Aunt, my mother will be worried tonight, please don't go back to the fifth institute."
Yang Wan nodded, "Okay."
After saying that, he raised his head and looked at Zhang Luo, "Where are you taking Your Highness to?"
Zhang Luo said: "Wu Ying Palace."
Yang Wan squeezed Yi Lang's hand, "Is he alone?"
"right."
Yang Wan squatted down, gathered Yi Lang's cloak, and said softly, "Wrap yourself up, don't get cold."
Zhang Luo bowed his head and said, "Yang Wan, if you delay any longer, I will punish you for disobeying an imperial order."
After hearing this, Yi Lang hurriedly said, "Aunt, please let go."
After saying that, he struggled to break free from Yang Wan's hand and wiped away his tears fiercely, but still refused to turn around to let Zhang Luo see his tears.
"Deputy Envoy Zhang, you are not allowed to embarrass my aunt."
Zhang Luo bowed his hands and lowered his voice, "I understand. Your Highness, please."
Yang Wan followed him for a few steps, calling out repeatedly: "Master Zhang, Master Zhang..."
Zhang Luo stopped and signaled the Jinyiwei to take Yi Lang ahead, then turned back to stop Yang Wan, "What do you want to tell me?"
Yang Wan looked at Yi Lang's back and said softly, "I know that you are loyal and will not seek revenge, but he is still young. Can you let me take care of him?"
Zhang Luo laughed and said, "Okay, but you have to end your relationship with that eunuch and apologize to my Zhang family."
He said as he took a step closer to Yang Wan, "I really don't like the way you think you're smart and undisciplined."
Yang Wan raised her head and said, "You want to discipline me?"